Torpedo-guard for ships.



K 0. ANKER.

TORPEDO GUARD FOR SHIPS.

APPLICAHON mu) MAY 19, m1.

Patented Sept. 4, 1917.

2 SHEETS -SHEET I N at ll I E; I-gN'VEJV OR.

BY HIE JTTUKJYEY K 0. ANKER.

TORPEDO GUARD FOR SHIPS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 19. 1917.

1 ,238,977. Patented Sept. 4, 1917.

2 SNEETS-SHEEI 2.

fl/l INVENTOE.

a r HIE ATTORW'E r- KRUTE O. ANKEB, OF '1. PAUL, MINNEflbTA.

' ronrnno-euaan non sznrs.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 4, 1917.

Application filed May 19, 1917. Serial No. 169,787.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, KNUTn O. ANKER, a citizen of the United States, residin at St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey. and tate of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Torpedo-Guard for Ships, of which the following is a specification.

y invention relates to means for pre venting the torpedoing of ships; the invention may be used toaprotect the ships both while they are at anchor and when in motion, but it is more especially intended for ships and vessels while they are sailing.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view of a vessel in outlines equipped with my torpedo guard or protective means against torpedoes. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a modification of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a plan view of a portion of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail view of one of the floats of the device. Fig. 6 is an enlarged section on the line a1a in Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings by reference numerals, 1 designates a ship or vessel, either merchant vessel or war vessel, 2 desig-. nates a front mast, and 2 a rear mast with bboms 3 and 3 respectively, 4 is the regular bow-sprit of the ship, or if'the ship has no how sprit it may be given a similar forward spar for the purpose hereinafter set forth.

Connected to said booms 3 and 3 by ropes 5 are suitably deep and long torpedo nets 6,-which may be made, as'in Figs. 1 and 2, of chain or wire ropes formed into meshes, or,as in Figs. 3 and 4 they may be made up of metal platep or s eets 6" attached together by link 7. In either case the invention comprises two normally parallel sections each of which is longer than the ship and is supported by a. series of floats 8 se cured to the upper edge of the section. The booms 3, 3 may be raised and lowered by ropes 9 connected with the masts, and if it be desired to make the ropes 5 extra slack without disturbing the position of the boo-ms, this maybe eflected by extensions 5, of the ropes 5, which extensions are passed over sheaves 10 in the booms and adjustably secured to cleats 11 on the mast, as shown in Fig. 1. The other cleats, 12, are for the ropes 9.

VV'hen the vessel is sailing or moving in waters where submarine boats or other vessels are apt to use tor edoes, a submarine chaser or similar vesse 13, is attached to the forward end of each net section'to aid. the main vessel in drawing the nets endwise through the water. Each auxiliary vessel is also well equipped with guns 14 in for attacking suba turret 15, or otherwise, marines or other enemies, and if.the circumstances should justifv it one or both of the vessels 13 may be detached from the nettings and chase the enemy vessel, whereupon they may return and resume their original duty. Such releasing from the nets may be effected by any suitable means, one of which is to have the not attached by links 6 to a knife-shaped bar 16 (see Fig. 6),

which extends downwardly into the water and has its upper portion 16 arched forwardly in over the boat and formed with a downward shank 17, which is dropped into a socket 18, from which it may be raised replaced whenever so tect also the ends of the vessel While it Is at anchor; but this arrangement of the nets is; not considered necessary nor practical during the sailing of the vessel.

In the modified form shown in Figs. 3

and 4 the vessel may also have side spars or booms 21 at the sides for holding the nets permanently a certain distance away from each side of the Vessel, while thebooms 3 may be swung almost together whenever so desired, and the front ends of the nets suspended on a hook 22 attached to a rope or chain 23, suspended from the spar 4. This may be done while the vessel is at anchor, or While the boats 13 are chasing a submarine. But in Fig. 1, where the booms are held apart by bars 24 and 24", the netting should be attached to 4 and 4* from the boats 13.

Tn the operation of the device, if 'any of the two nets or of two parallel normally straight but flexi- 110 ble tor edo' guards spaced away one from each si e of the vessel, means on the vessel the nets are so long 80 guards should get damaged by a torpedo, the auxiliary vessels 13 are for holding the guards in said spaced relation, a series of floats fixed at the upper edges of said guards, and auxiliary power driven vessels attached one to the front end of each guard, said auxiliary vessels heing armed and readily detachable from the guards.

2. The combination with a ship or vessel, of two parallel normally straight but fiexi hle torpedo guards spaced away one from each side of the vessel, means on the vessel for holding the guards in said spaced rela- 'tion, a series of floats fixed at the upper edges of said guards, and auxiliary power driven vessels attached one to the front end of each guard, said auxiliary vessels being armed and readily detachable from the guards, each of said guards being longer than the vessel and means at the ends of the vessel for holding the ends of the guards together and spaced from the main vessel when the latter is at anchor.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

KNUTF. O. ANKER. 

